How to decipher the code for press agencies to thrive

Vietnam aims to have 30 per cent of press agencies to become digitalised in 2023. How can this be achieved?

Mai Huong Giang, deputy director general of the Ministry of Information and Communications’ Authority of Press

In April, the Prime Minister approved the strategy for digital transformation in journalism by 2025, with a vision towards 2030. The following month, an action plan was signed that features many goals. By 2025, 70 per cent of press agencies will put their content on digital platforms, and 100 per cent of leadership and journalists will be trained in digital skills.

When we built this action plan to submit to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) for promulgation, we did not aim to take just the milestone of 2025 or 2030 to review and re-evaluate, but we aim to see actual progress every year and specific results in each stage.

For example, we set a target by 2023 that 30 per cent of news agencies put the content on a digital platform, with the rate increasing to 70 per cent by 2025.

We have little time left to achieve this goal. It is expected that at the end of this year, we will re-evaluate and take the next steps.

Vietnamese journalism has undergone almost 100 years of development, making an important contribution to national defence, and promoting innovation and integration.

Digital technology has become a basic productive force in most fields, including journalism. Digital technology has the first, strongest, and most profound influence on the field of journalism and communication. The use of digital technology has also become a matter of survival for journalism.

The press economy is still a hot issue for agencies. What solutions will you have to support press agencies to increase revenue sources and effectively carry out digital transformation?

When we tracked news agency revenues between 2019 and 2021, we noticed a sharp drop.

In the new strategy, there are clear objectives related to increasing revenue, as the essence of digital transformation is to increase it. Earlier this year, the MIC organised the Press Economic Forum, where many press agencies also shared with us their revenue sources.

Basically, there are six sources of revenue for press agencies: sales of printed newspapers, advertising, organising media events, from the state budget, from other sources, and from collecting fees from readers. Currently, in Vietnam, there are only five press agencies that apply the model of collecting fees from readers.

With advertising also in the same situation, newspaper agencies are aiming to collect fees. That way, we can enhance digital transformation to enhance readers’ experience and better serve them.

Many press agencies are facing difficulties in terms of funding resources and human resources. We also talked to technology companies about support for media outlets in their digital transformation. We have also organised general and in-depth training courses for agencies about the press economy in the context of digital transformation, including how to increase revenue from readers and from advertising.

We hope that the establishment of a press digital transformation support centre will contribute to supporting agencies in effectively implementing the goals stated in the strategy. In the long term, there will be supportive and encouraging policies such as amending the Law on Press and related laws to reduce taxes for press agencies.

In terms of amending the law, what changes will be made in terms of legislation to adjust organisation, operation, and financial mechanisms to support digital transformation?

The Law on Press 2016 took effect in 2017. Among the many groups of issues to be revised this time include digital transformation, the journalism economy, and the legal framework, as well as development of mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of domestic tech platforms.

In June, VTV launched a national digital television platform called VTVgo, and the platform has then been selected by the MIC as a national digital TV platform.

In the press digital transformation strategy, we will also have a national digital radio platform chaired by Voice of Vietnam, and a digital platform for press agencies.

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